Florida
by Denaliyasha
Summary: After Gibbs retires, he gets an unexpected visitor in Mexico who has an interesting question... GAbby, set after the season finale.


Disclaimer: Nope, nada mine.

A/N: MY 75th STORY! Woot! Anyhow, because I couldn't leave it as the way it was. Review, please. Oh, and I can't remember his ex-boss person's name, so I'm calling him Mike. Please don't jump on me for it, just let me know and I may or may not fix it. Thanks!

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Florida

He settled quickly into a routine in Mexico: eat, drink beer, fish, sleep. It was something he felt he could get very used to... although there was always something missing, something he couldn't quite define. Still, he was happy, and he was able to have peace and quiet to deal with the loss of his family for the second time, as well as get over missing his team.

It was with total shock, therefore, that he exited the shack one morning to find Abby curled up in the sand by the steps.

"Gibbs!" She jumped up and threw her arms around his neck. "I was starting to think I had the wrong place!"

"What are you doing here, Abbs?" He hugged her back, confused but extremely happy to see her. Leaving her behind had cost him.

"Looking for you," she said in a 'duh' sort of voice. "You didn't think I was really going to let you just walk off like that, did you? You just... left! It was horrible! Tony doesn't bring me Caff Pows!"

Gibbs raised an eyebrow.

"Ok, well, he does, but he's much more stingy. And he doesn't visit me as often, or sneak into my lab to plant birthday presents, or threaten to kill people who hurt me, or..."

"Well, the first one could be because you scare him when you're on caffeine." Gibbs sat down on the stairs and Abby joined him. "He's probably busy, and I doubt he could sneak his way out of a paper bag. You also haven't had a birthday since I've been gone, and you haven't had any stalkers."

"How would you know?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "You haven't been there."

"Unlike Mike, I brought a phone. If something had gone wrong, Jenny would have called me."

She made a slightly odd face. "Right. Jenny would have called. I should have thought of that." She wrapped her arms around her stomach, shivering slightly, and it was then he noticed what she was wearing. It was a fishnet long-sleeved shirt with a black t-shirt over it, and she had on black boots and a short black skirt. It made him realize how rarely he saw her outside.

"You look... different in the sun, Abbs."

"Contrary to what you all seem to think, I'm not a vampire." She mock glowered at him. "I just prefer my lab."

"I don't think you're a vampire, Abbs, and you never did tell me what you were doing here."

"I took a couple weeks vacation," was the matter of fact reply. "I haven't decided if I'm going to go back yet."

"Why would you leave?" He was honestly surprised. He searched his memory (recently recovered though it was, and still with some holes) for any indication that his favorite Goth lab rat was unhappy with her work.

"You're gone. And Kate's gone. And I love all the other guys, but it's not the same. Ziva scares me a little, and Tony... well, he's trying too hard to be you, I think. He's even started whacking people upside the head, though he hasn't tried it with Ziva cause he knows she'd kick his ass. And McGee is great, but he's kinda weird and geeky."

"YOU'RE weird and geeky, Abbs." A smile played at the corner of his mouth.

"I know, but he's nerdy, too. I mean, he plays those role-playing games online and everything... did you know that those things were designed to addict teenagers? They play on a person's need for status and power and..."

"ABBS."

"Sorry." It was a reflex on both their parts, and they took a moment to revel in the familiarity of it.

"Anyhow, it's just too different. I just need to take some time off, make some major decisions."

"What decisions?"

She pointedly avoided his gaze. "Whether I'm willing to move here to stay with you."

"Abby..."

"No, look, hear me out, ok?" She jumped to her feet and began pacing. "I mean, you're the reason I stayed at NCIS after Kate died. You're my best friend, Gibbs. I know you well enough to be able to hold entire conversations with you... without your participation. When I was having issues with that stalker, you helped me every way you could, and you threatened the guy for no other reason than he was making my life hell. You're the only friend I have who's really not freaked out on some level by the way I dress and act and you're the only friend I have who does things like hug me or whatever." She paused for breath, stopping right in front of him, eyes searching his face. "I'm trying to say that I love you, you stubborn marine, and I need to know if you want me around."

He stared back, his face unreadable. He seemed to be considering it carefully, but it was playing hell with her nerves.

"Abby," he finally said, slowly. "I don't want you to move to Mexico."

"Oh." She seemed to deflate, tears welling unbidden in her eyes. "Ok. I'll get out of your hair, then. Not that there's much left to get out of, huh?" She tried a joke on his new haircut, but it fell pretty flat.

"Abby..." He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards him. "Would you mind moving to Miami? I could live with Florida."

And then he was knocked over by the force of her exuberant hug, and they were both laughing, and all was right with the world... for a while, at least. They were, after all, Gibbs and Abby.

A/N: Well, that was fluffy. And fun. Maybe I'll write a Miami story with them in it... though I am in denial about Horatio being married (I'm a Calleigh Horatio fan). Hmm... Anyhow, reviews would be greatly appreciated, cause I am not having the greatest day.


End file.
